The Raptor Centre

The Raptor Centre was founded in 1977 by Eddie Hare at Chilham Castle near Canterbury in the middle of Kent.

We are now based within the grounds of Groombridge Place just outside Tunbridge Wells on the Kent and Sussex border.

The Centre is a Sanctuary for Birds of Prey, and not a Falconry Centre. We have nothing to do with hunting, our only concern is conserving Birds of Prey for future generations to enjoy, after all - the children of today are the adults of tomorrow.

We are open Tuesday through to Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays, from April until October. More accurate dates can be found on our website www.raptorcentre.co.uk

We give two demonstrations each day, with different birds flying at each display. Our main aim is conservation through fun and education. The demonstrations take place at the Flying Ground, which is located inside the grounds of Groombridge Place at 12:30 and 3:30.

A selection of birds are on display on the main entrance to Groombridge, outside our house. They can be viewed at any point during your visit, you are able to leave the main part of the estate and walk back along the drive to see them - PLEASE keep your ticket safe for re-entry. The birds will be on display from approximately 11am until 5pm. Less birds will be on display in extreme heat or rain.

Eddie and Veronica are very often around and always happy to answer any questions you may have regarding the birds.

We offer a variety of ways to get up close and personal with our birds on a unique one to one basis, this is done through our Hawk Experiences.

We like to visit schools, clubs, societies, groups and organisations to talk about the birds.

We provide birds for Photography Workshops, and offsite static displays.

We have run a Rescue Service since we started back in 1977, indeed, rescuing a Little Owl, was how the concept of The Raptor Centre was born.

Birds that come in through our rescue service are, where possible rehabilitated and released back into the wild. If they are permanently disabled, they remain with us, we attempt to find them a mate and breed from them - their youngsters are then released into the wild. Over the years we have successfully released hundreds of birds, including Tawny Owls, European Buzzards, European Kestrels, Little Owls, and Hobbys

The Raptor Centre is a Non Profit making organisation. We have done, and continue to rely on donations from you; the public.
Without donations we wouldn't be here...
We would like to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has donated to us in the past, and everybody who will in the future. No matter how small or big your contribution is - it helps.

New for 2015 - we now have an online gift shop, here you can support us, but get something back in return. It is possible to purchase your keepsakes when you visit us, please see either Eddie or Veronica to arrange this.

More information on us, the work that we do, the experiences that we offer, the gifts that we sell, and everything else, please visit our website - www.raptorcentre.co.uk

Kindest Regards

Eddie and Veronica.